Death and the Lion
by Victoria Ivy Bennet
Summary: Nico has an interesting encounter in the cemetery, which leads him and the other demigods into a strange adventure where being the Ghost King has its advantages. (All characters and place names belong to their respective owners {Yes, there are more than two books involved, there's even a TV series . . . or two ;D}, idea and OC's are mine ;).
1. Cemetery Waltz

Nico slunk back against the tree trunk, pulling out his earphones and his CD player. He plugged the earphones in, put them on, and laid his head back against the tree. He bolted into an upright position when he heard the first song. It made his blood boil. He was not in the mood for Halloween music as that only served to remind him of whose son he was and bring back a whole ton of memories that he had been trying to put aside for the time being. The next song began playing and it definitely did its job as shivers went up and down his spine and his eyes darted around the cemetery for any suspicious movement, so it was no surprise that he jumped when he heard a rustling somewhere to his right. Getting a little fed up with it at that point, he hit pause, took off his earphones, and set off to find not only the intruder of his silence, but also his music. He walked a few feet away from the cemetery when he saw her, and he paused. She was wearing a pale blue, 1940's evening dress, complete with a pearl necklace and a floral hairpin. Nico began to wonder why blue as even more memories threatened to rip him apart. He turned to leave when he heard her voice, clearly thick with a British accent.

"Excuse me, but can you direct me to the cemetery?"

He turned back to her, "Sure, it's just up a ways behind me." He paused as she drew closer, then held out his arm.

"Oh, it's not necessary," she smiled at the gesture.

He shrugged, "It's what was done in the 1940's. Besides, you shouldn't be out here by yourself."

"What's there to be afraid of?" she asked him as she took his arm and let him lead her to the cemetery.

He glanced at her, "Uh, the ghosts. It is Halloween."

She laughed, "They're just ghosts, not like they can really do anything to us. Besides, I think they want to have some fun, just like everyone else." He looked at her as she let go of his arm to go further into the cemetery. She paused over one in particular, and knelt down. Nico's throat began to tighten as he realized that either a friend or family member was buried in the cemetery and he had not been very kind to her loss. He took out his earphones again, wanting to give her some privacy, and finished listening to the spooky song. The next song took him by surprise, as it sounded very gentle and, in a weird way, sweet.

"What are you listening to?" Nico jumped again, he hadn't noticed her approach.

"Oh, um, a CD I got, I think mine got mixed up with the party music," he replied.

"May I hear?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh, well, just one quick one, I gotta get it back to the party."

"Was that where you were heading when I asked you for help?"

"Yeah," he replied, placing the earphones on her and selecting the song he had just heard.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take your time. Oh, why this song is rather lovely, almost like a waltz," she said as the song played.

"Yeah, I guess they wanted to have some dance music, " he stated as he took the earphones back from her.

"May I ask why you are not at the party?"

"I don't know how to dance," he muttered. He then wanted to hit himself, though he couldn't give the real reason why he didn't want to be at the party.

"I don't think there'll be much dancing, and I could show you a few simple steps, if you'd like," she offered.

"Uh, well, uh, I don't know," he stammered.

"Oh come on, you should have some fun. It will be easy, and quick, I promise. Could you put that song on repeat please?"

Nico didn't know why, but he did as she asked, set the volume on high, and set it upon one of the tombstones. It began to play, and she showed him some basic steps. They practised the dance five times, Nico found himself getting better and better, leading her back and forth, and twirling her.

"My, you're quite the fast learner!" she exclaimed after their sixth time at it.

"It's a lot more fun than I thought," he told her, a small smile creeping onto his face. It vanished when he saw her looking at him strangely, though she was still smiling. "What?" he asked darkly.

"Oh, I was just thinking that you look better with a smile on your face," she replied. Nico blinked, unsure of what to think of that praise. But he didn't get time to respond as he heard voices calling his name, one voice in particular stood out to him, though another did too as she used his full name in a rather commanding voice.

"Nico di Angelo is your name? Well, it was nice to meet you and help you with your dancing, but it looks like I should be off. Your friends are here and my family is waiting for me. Hope to see you again later!" She waved and rushed down the hill.  
"Wait, what's your name?" Nico called after her.

"Lucy Pevensie," she called back before she disappeared through the trees. The name struck Nico as familiar, like in a movie or a book, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He didn't get to think long on it as he was practically tackled by a bulky blonde.

"There you are! We've been looking everywhere! The Apollo camp isn't too thrilled that you made off with the party mix," Jason told him.

"Not like I was too thrilled to find that I had grabbed it in the first place," retorted Nico.

"We heard you talking to someone, who was it?" asked Percy as he and the others got closer.

"It was a girl named Lucy, why, what's it to you?" grumbled Nico.  
"Just wondering if you've finally met the one," replied Percy. Nico gave him a strange look, before glancing in the direction Lucy had taken.

"Come on, let's get this back to the party, they want their music like now," stated Jason, as he grabbed the player and pushed Nico back towards camp. But for whatever reason, Nico just couldn't get her out of his mind, and, in a way, hoped he would get to see her again.


	2. The Uninvited

Hanging around the cemetery for the past day and a half paid off as Nico saw Lucy again, this time with a procession heading straight towards the tombstone she had knelt at when he first met her. She was wearing black like the rest of them, and though Nico did like that color, he thought she looked prettier in blue. The group itself consisted of about three or four families, who seemed to be very close to the one family who was mourning. Nico wondered which family was the Coopers, since the tombstone advertised the name of Abigail Cooper, beloved wife and mother. If she had left children behind, he could understand their pain, losing family was never easy. He then thought that he could follow the group for a bit and hopefully find out a little more about Lucy. He edged himself closer and closer to the group, trying to get as close as possible and pass himself off as another visitor to the cemetery. That didn't work too well for he found himself staring into a pair of grey eyes.

"Why, Nico di Angelo, fancy meeting you here again!" blurted Lucy, bringing his presence to the attention of her whole group. Nico began feeling uneasy with so many eyes on him. He really wished he could shadow travel, but then, that would alert them to his strangeness. "Is there someone you know buried here?" Lucy asked, the question not really helping the awkward silence.

"Uh, well, no not really," muttered Nico.

"Oh, is this just a quiet spot for you then?" she continued.

"Uh, yeah, something like that," Nico replied, shifting his weight on his feet. Most of the group went back to tending the grave while two tall teens and a man eyed Lucy's conversation with Nico. Nico quickly figured that they had to be her brothers and father, the rest of the group didn't seem to pay them much mind until they had finished with the grave. By then, Lucy had wormed some info about Nico out of him, like his family and friends. He couldn't tell her too much as she wouldn't understand that he ordered ghosts around for a living, or that most people, dead or alive, practically feared him since he was a son of Hades. When Lucy's friends and family regrouped, Lucy introduced Nico to everyone. Nico had been right, the three guys who had been eyeing the budding friendship were Lucy's brothers, Peter and Edmund, and their father. Lucy also had a sister named Susan, who was practically drop-dead gorgeous, though she was focusing her attention on Jay Cooper, a tall blonde who reminded Nico of Jason in some ways. His sister, Lila, looked similar, same blonde hair and blue eyes as her brother and father. The other two families, the Aarons and the Burkes, were long-time friends of Lucy and Edmund, especially the Burkes since Lucy and Edmund had saved Leslie's life while they were out playing one day. Lucy then explained as they left the cemetery that Jacob Cooper was going to marry Meghan, who had also lost her husband, whose grave they had visited last week.

"So, uh, now where are you going?" asked Nico as they neared the vehicles.

"The rehearsal dinner," quipped Lucy as they approached her father and Mr. Cooper, who had been talking in low voices. Nico winced when the two men turned and seemed to scrutinize him. Mr. Cooper then smiled and said something that threw Nico off-guard.

"Would you like to join us?"

Nico blinked, then glanced at Lucy before replying, "May I ask why you are inviting me? We've only just met."

Mr. Cooper laughed, "A good point, my young man, but you seem to be a decent fellow, and I trust you." Then leaning in, he whispered, "Besides, you look a little lonely, and Miss Lucy seems to have lit a light in your eyes." He winked before straightening up and continued, "So, what do you say? Care to join us for a bit of fun?"

"Didn't you just visit your wife's grave?" Nico asked incredulously .

"That we did, it's been a while since she's been gone, but I know she would want us to continue our lives. We will never forget her, but it's time to move on. I want to do what I can until I can join her in the afterlife. Besides, it's not every day you hear of someone getting to fall in love twice," said Mr. Cooper, smiling warmly as he glanced at Meghan. He turned back to Nico, "Well, my boy, have you decided? Will you join us?" It was then that Nico did what he later thought to be the stupidest thing, he glanced at Lucy before he answered.

"Yeah, OK, I'll go."


	3. Strange Guests

Not only did Nico get to go to the rehearsal dinner, he also got to go to the wedding. The Burkes picked him up along with Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, two grandparent-like characters whose talk of how things were before World War 2 made Nico feel less like a freak for being alive during World War 2. But, even as he spoke with them, he couldn't shake the feeling that several of the people he was introduced to had names that seemed to come out of books. On top of that, Nico sensed that these people knew he was keeping a secret from them, just like Nico knew that they were keeping a secret from him. Though he was curious as to what they were hiding, he didn't push the subject out of fear that he would have to reveal his secret in return, and he wanted these kind people to like him for who he was, not fear him because of whose son he was or his powers, much less put their lives in danger. The only thing that Nico wanted to hide, but was not succeeding at, was his elation at being practically adopted into this group of lovely people and to be able to attend something besides a funeral. No matter how hard he tried, he just kept proving Mr. Cooper right that he was a lonely little boy starving for a family and friends. Lucy, Leslie, and Jesse Aarons provided adequate friends as the trio practically dragged him everywhere in exploration of the church and later the grounds of the reception hall. And while Nico did enjoy the exploring, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, and not just by the crazy fellow whose eyes looked like he had seen centuries of pain and joy. There was something else, something that always seemed to follow them wherever they went, something that seemed to be close but always stayed well out of sight, something sinister. Nico would get the group moving whenever he thought that something was getting closer, only keeping them one step ahead of the impending danger. Nico didn't feel safe until they had gotten back into the reception hall, where the crazy man was waiting.

"Nice job you did back there, though you could have told them you were being followed," he muttered to Nico as he walked past. Nico glanced up at him, alarmed and somewhat pissed.

"We're celebrating a wedding here, there's no need to dampen the mood," growled Nico.

"That we are, that we are. Very well, carry on, Nico di Angelo, right? Means conqueror of angels in Italian, if I remember correctly. What is it with Italy these days?" Nico stared after him as he walked away, thinking he had gone stark mad. Lucy's voice broke him out of his stupor.

"Are you alright Nico?" she asked, looking a little worried.

"That guy's raving mad, how can you put up with him?"

Lucy laughed, "Well, considering he's the doctor who saved our lives several times, I think it's safe to say that we owe it to him." Nico glanced at the doctor, still unsure if the man could be trusted, but said no more on the matter as Lucy dragged him out to the dance floor. The rest of the party went smoothly, no more feelings of impending doom, no more crazy talk from the doctor whose name Nico never got. Soon, it was time to leave and let the newlyweds get ready for their honeymoon. Nico relaxed only a bit until he saw the Burkes leaving him back at the cemetery where they picked him up. Even then, he still felt like something was wrong, but at least his new friends were out of harm's way. If he could keep the danger focused on him, he could keep them safe. Now all he had to do was to find the source of the danger and eliminate it before it harmed any of them. But he couldn't think more on it as he felt his eyelids begin to droop, the excitement of the day wearing on him. Then his eyes snapped open, something was definitely watching him. He scanned the cemetery, but didn't see anyone or anything. He tried to shake the feeling of dread that threatened to tighten his chest, but all he could do was glance at the gravestones that he passed. None of the names registered any familiarity, except for Abigail Cooper, and for the first time in his life, Nico di Angelo, the Ghost King, wanted to get as far away from the cemetery as possible. He checked the area again before shadow-traveling back to camp, not able to shake the horrible feeling until he was in his cabin.


	4. Demigod Time

Nico grimaced, he hated being cornered, even if it was by the people who had come to mean so much to him. However, they were in the front row, so he couldn't shadow-travel. He gritted his teeth, he didn't know how, but someone at camp had found out about his going to the wedding, and now everyone he knew seemed to beg him for an explanation, and not everyone would have it from him. Only the ones from the camps might understand, but they were right to stand back as they knew Nico wouldn't risk exposing the world behind the Mist to his new-found friends. They would get it later, for sure, but for now, there was nothing Nico could do but talk, and try to get them out of the cemetery.

"So, care to explain why you didn't tell us about this wedding you were invited to?" Leo asked, peering at Nico over Lucy's head.

"I wanted to do stuff with different people, is that so wrong? Can we get out of the cemetery now?" Nico grumbled.

"What's wrong with the cemetery? This is your usual haunt," Leo stated, putting an extra emphasis on the word haunt.

"Something's not right," was all Nico could say. He couldn't explain what was going on, but whatever was watching them was most certainly not a ghost nor a Greek monster, and Nico wasn't sure if he wanted to find out exactly what it was. Thankfully his demigod friends caught the hint, and everyone moved away from the cemetery. They had only gone a few feet when the crazy doctor intercepted them. Nico noticed he was looking straight behind them.

"Get to the Tardis, now," he ordered, pointing behind himself. Peter's and Edmund's eyes grew wide. With Jay's and Jesse's help, they began herding the group in the direction the doctor indicated. The group stopped at an old, blue police box and Peter opened the door.

"Wait, you expect all of us to fit into that?" Percy asked incredulously.

"Further in, further out," came Lucy's reply as she and her friends piled in. The demigods stared in awe as all of them somehow squeezed in.

"Get in!' Peter said, in a tone that expected immediate obedience. The demigods didn't argue, and began filing in. Nico glanced behind him to see where the doctor was, and was surprised that the doctor was walking backwards, and fast. He didn't get to look for the thing the doctor was getting away from, for at that moment Peter grabbed him by the jacket and pushed him through the door, yelling at the same time, "Doctor, come on!" The doctor turned and ran straight for the police box, following Peter through the door. The two turned and slammed the door shut, but not before Nico froze in fear. He saw what they were running from, and he couldn't believe what he had seen.

"That statue moved, that statue moved! How did it move? How could it move?" Nico practically panicked. He turned to look at everyone, then gaped again as he saw the inside of the Tardis. Leo was grinning like a kid at Christmas, watching the Doctor press buttons and throw levers.

"An automaton? Let us out, we'll handle it," Percy approached Peter.

"That wasn't an automaton," whispered Nico. Percy glanced at him in shock.

"If it isn't an automaton, then what is it?"

"They're called Weeping Angels," replied the Doctor. Everyone looked at him as he threw a lever, and an engine roared to life.

"Where are we going, Doctor?" Jay asked.

"Venice, Italy."


End file.
